Key points for diagnosis
(1) The general symptoms of acute suppurative otitis media may be severe or mild, possibly including fever, aversion to cold, lassitude and declining appetite. Children have severe general symptoms, with higher fever reaching 39 to 40℃. When the tympanic membrane perforates and pus flows out, fever will abate gradually as well.

(2) The ear is increasingly painful, with the manifestations of distending pain, stabbing pain or jumping pain. After the perforation of tympanic membrane, otalgia will also abate.

(3) Hypoacusis occurs, which will worsen when the ear is suppurative. After the tympanic membrane perforates and pus flows out, hearing will be slightly improved and gradually restored to normal state later on.

(4) Palpation of the otic region may see slight tenderness of the mastoid process and the pain is more obvious in antrum tympanicum.

(5) Examination of the tympanic membrane finds more obvious congestion at the primary stage. With the development of the disease, the tympanic membrane is deep red and swollen with congestion and evagination. Immediately after the perforation, thicker pus gushes out bit by bit through the smaller hole with the pulsation. Several days later, pus will become scantier and scantier and the perforsated tympanic membrane will heal gradually.

(6) As for audiometry, both tuning fork test and pure tone auditory threshold test indicate conduction deafness. Hemogram can see elevation of total white blood
cells.

In TCM, a disease or a symptom might be caused by one pathogenic factor, even two or three pathogenic factors. When diagnosing a disease or a symptom, TCM doctors must follow the principle of "Syndrome Dfferentiation", and then "Suit the Remedy to the Case". In order to gain a more definite and valuable diagnosis, it's important and necessary for the doctor to learn the detailed health information of the patient, including his/her disease duration, age, sex, height, weight, family history, urine, stool, diet, sleep, sweat, energy, mood (emotion), as well as the tongue conditions and the palm conditions, etc. If you would want our expert to create a TCM diagnosis, you're welcome to contact us.